Tracks Of My Tears
by matsukanishi09
Summary: They always thought that I had moved on. Yet, behind every smile and laugh I make, my shattered heart continues to break. And as I meet Hermione Granger, I knew that my act is done. DraMione. One-shot. Draco's POV. R&R.


**Tracks of My Tears**

Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After ten years, I walked through those magnificent doors once again. It felt like yesterday as I made my way through the crowd, greeted familiar faces and answered repetitive questions about my life after the Second War. The Reunion Ball organized by the Weaslette and her husband, Potter, turned out to be a success. Everyone, together with those who had been acquainted with me, had been there. Even the Slytherins.

I greeted Potter and his wife, setting differences aside. It seemed that all was well and a conversation evoked between the three of us. They asked me about my marriage with Astoria Greengrass, which was held three months ago. I told them that it was fine, not grand, and our life as a couple is flowing smoothly.

Yet, in the midst of our chat, **she** entered the hall. They both excused themselves from me and made their way through the crowd to greet her. She looked dazzling in her purple dress robe. And before Potter could even wave at my direction, I decided to slip away smoothly, not wanting to encounter her for now.

However, it seemed that my stealth techniques proved to be amateurish. Instead of going away unnoticed as I planned, I bumped into Dean Thomas and splashed Firewhiskey all over my robes. I glared at the former Gryffindor, cursing my luck on this gathering. And as I was looking for a napkin, a hand touched my shoulder from behind.

"Here." A feminine voice broke me away from my endless stream of mental curses and led me to turn my head at her direction.

She stood there, handing me her red handkerchief. Her other hand was still grasping my shoulder and her brown eyes looked at me expectantly. Nevertheless, I just watched her as if she had grown another bushy head. And with my lack of response, she rolled her eyes, faced me and wiped the wine of my chest.

"You should be more careful." She continued with what she was doing, not minding the stares other people were giving us.

I chuckled softly and held her hand. "It wasn't my fault that Potter was waving his hand at my direction like a love-struck homo." She looked at me in wonder, as if she couldn't believe what I had just said.

"What?" I feigned curiosity, a smirk on my lips.

"You're laughing." Her awed expression then turned into a soft smile, and she then tucked away the piece of cloth she had used on my robes.

It might seem odd, yet the surprise and relief her eyes held after my humorous retort had been expected. Hermione Granger **was** my girlfriend. It had been five months after our break-up, and until now, the reason behind it was still blurry for me. For the past two months, I had been melancholic and I wouldn't talk to anybody—even my family. But after Blaise had told me to continue my life even if I still felt jarred, I decided to stick to it.

After all, I knew how to place my masks on. And after that, my pretentious life had started.

I became sociable again. I started to go to work at the Ministry and I even accepted my father's proposal regarding with marrying Astoria Greengrass. I had met with my friends, talked to them in a fashion that was Malfoy-like, and buried their frustrations about my dramatic behavior from before.

I had been civil with Potter and his family. And I had started laughing, joking, and taunting playfully again.

My life went on as to what it should have been as I continued to pretend that I was mended. Yet, amidst everything that I have shown them, I continued to cry whenever I'm alone.

And now, I'm facing her relieved state. She seemed happy that I had moved on. Besides, she was out of the country whilst I was doing my make-believe life look real.

She was my last audience. After her, my act is done.

"I've heard from Harry about you. He told me that you are married. Congratulations." Her eyes showed both mirth and sadness. And I started doubting if I could help myself from crushing her into my chest.

I nodded my head, smiling at her as I grabbed two glasses of Firewhiskey from a floating tray. I handed her one and gulped my own. The heat of the alcohol rushed through my veins, providing me strength as I continued my performance.

"All is well, now. And I did hear from Potter that you were getting married, too." I eyed her with amusement in my eyes and a smirk dangling on my lips. _This piece of information had me crying for three days._

She smiled timidly, unsure if I was really okay as to where this conversation was going. And as I ushered her to speak up, she mentioned her happy life with Ron Weasley and the preparations they were doing for their wedding on the eleventh day of August.

And a jolt of pain made its way on my chest as her face lit up on every detail she had told me about their plans. Together with that, the irony of her wedding date made a drastic impact on me, and my mask had almost been off.

After all, August 11 was the day that we broke up. And it seemed that she was oblivious to that fact.

Silence ensued. She just smiled her pleasant grin at my direction, unaware that every look on her face is breaking my well-played masquerade. I needed help in order to keep things well hidden. I cannot deny that my body is likely to act on their own and hold her until everything that I had done beforehand would crumble into nothingness. It seemed wrong, but I still need Hermione in my life.

"Draco?" A familiar tone caused the both of us to turn.

Astoria stood behind me with a smile on her lips. I ushered her to come closer. Hermione looked at her in confusion, wondering who was the woman situated beside me. I got those looks from people before, since Astoria was not that much of a socialite, unlike her sister. And when I introduce her to others (that included Potter and his wife), it was well-practiced for me to kiss her on the lips before saying her name.

But today, I don't even have the confidence to hold her hand.

_You can do this, Draco Malfoy. _I slipped my hand into my wife's waist and situated her beside me as I smiled at her. Hermione continued to eye us in utter uncertainty. And even if I had the courage to do such lengths of intimacy with Astoria in front of Hermione, I couldn't bare to kiss her in front of the woman I love.

"Hermione, this is Astoria." Silence fell as I tried to grasp the words. Both girls looked at my direction, and Astoria decided to continue.

"I'm Draco's wife." She smiled at Hermione and offered her hand, wherein Hermione took as every trace of perplexity vanished from her angelic face.

"It's nice meeting you." Hermione's smile then grew wider as I smiled at her, too. Thoughts of why I had stopped my introduction disappearing from their heads.

They both talked, and I listened. Astoria mentioned the baby that we were expecting, even if it wasn't visible yet. Hermione gazed at her stomach and the expression on her face seemed to be the very opposite of the one that I was trying to see. She looked happy and supportive of us, and a small part of me wished that she would have been hurt with the news.

Astoria eventually left as a friend of hers ushered her for a dance. I then asked Hermione to do the same with me and glided through the crowd.

"I never expected that you had moved on." Hermione gazed at the back of my neck, into my wife's direction.

I put up a smile and a chuckle, hiding the growing tension inside my chest. "It was easy. Once I got to understand everything." It was a lie. I never did understand.

"You've got a life ahead of you, Draco. And so have I." Hermione flashed her white teeth at me, rubbing the stained part of my robe.

I nodded my head to keep up. _I can't breathe. _I held her closely as we waltzed and she didn't even bother.

The song finally ended and she moved away from me. I kept my hands to the side, afraid that I would do something preposterous once I moved it towards her. She kissed my cheek and arranged my blond hair, all the while her eyes bearing the joy and relief as to how my act had evolved into.

"We made the right choice. We were not made for each other." She turned around and started walking away.

Stopping mid-step, she added, "And I'm happy you understood." She turned her head and smiled at me. "Thank you."

I watched her as she made her way to her fiancé. It was finally done. Yet, if she looked a little closer, just a little closer, maybe she would realize that the smiles I gave her were out of place.

And that the tracks of my tears are still evident.

**0.0**

**It may seem familiar. I based this story from Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of my Tears". It seemed well for an angst-filled Dramione fic. I would love to here your comments and suggestions about it. Please do review. Thanks a lot, guys.**

**By the way, this is my first Harry Potter fic. So, please be gentle. :D**


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